Tira Cohene - Research Proposal |
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Tira Cohene Ron Baecker, Ph.D. Elsa Marziali, Ph.D. Alzheimer’s Disease and memory loss can be tragic on many levels. Memories are essential in defining our experiences, our relationships, and ourselves. Our memories of our youth, our education, and our families are just some of the many experiences that make an individual who he or she is. The loss of these can lead to changes in personality or even a loss of sense of self. Memory loss can disrupt one’s ability to perform everyday tasks. Forgetting names of people, dates of events, items and their locations can have serious consequences. As these capabilities degenerate, so does the individual’s independence. The person must rely on others to help compensate for the forgotten things. As a result, it is not surprising that people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease tend to have high levels of depression, grief, fear, and frustration (Kasl-Godley & Gatz, 2000). This can also inadvertently cause pain to loved ones. Watching a loved one deteriorate in cognitive abilities, forget shared memories, or change in personality can have dramatic effects. Not only is it important to consider the well-being of the individual who is afflicted with the disease, it becomes important to consider the well-being of their loved ones. The caretaker, who’s often a family member, becomes very much affected by the disease as well. In addition to their responsibilities, they must cope with the loss of their family member to the disease. As a result, caregivers frequently suffer from isolation, stress, and depression (Kasl-Godley & Gatz, 2000). Other family members are often affected in similar ways. Intervention methods can be invaluable for providing support for those who are affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Effective support can enhance the well-being of the individuals’ lives. They can focus on strengthening the memory faculties, providing support for memory capabilities, enhancing one’s life in areas where memory loss has caused strains, or facilitating the responsibilities of the caretakers. For example, Prof. Elsa Marziali, Schippers Chair of Social Work at the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, has begun research on the effects of personalized video-taped retrospective life histories on individuals with Alzheimer’s (Marziali, 2002). The video intervention serves to diminish problematic behaviours, in part through reinforcing the individual’s positive self-identity. Caregivers and family members collaborate on the filming, editing, and viewing of videos. The film uses visual and auditory stimuli such as themes and props to represent retrospective memories. One of the objectives is to evaluate the individual’s mood and agitated behaviours throughout the duration of the project. The potential of information and communication technology (ICT) for such support extends the possibilities of video-based interventions. ICT has the benefit of presenting information in a nonlinear, pesonalizeable, and interactive format. Text, still graphics, as well as media rich visualizations such as animation and video can be integrated, based on an individuals reactions and feedback to the media. These benefits can enhance and facilitate the creation, manipulation, and presentation of retrospective life histories. Objectives Methodology Phase 2 will involve the implementation of the interactive components in the biographies. This will be followed by a longitudinal study. Over several months, the participants will watch the interactive multimedia biographies. The content will be viewed several times per week, and participants will be observed in this activity by researchers once a week. Participant reactions and interactions with the multimedia will be observed weekly, and day-to-day behaviours will also be investigated weekly. The final content can be delivered via CD and the Internet and viewed by patients, caregivers, and families. Analysis of Results Appendix Kasl-Godley, J., Gatz, M. (2000). Psychosocial interventions for individuals with dementia: An integration of
theory, therapy, and a clinical understanding of dementia. Clinical Psychology Review 20:6, 755-782. Marziali, E., (2002). Effects of personalized video-taped retrospective life histories on persons with alzheimer’s
mood and agitated behaviours. Unpublished report.
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Last updated August 27, 2004 |